Crucible-shaker.



I PATENTED JAN. 13 W. s, MATHER, QRUGIBLE SHAPER. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 2; 1900.

4 SHEE S-sum 1.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

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No. 71 ,494. PATENTED JAN. 13, 19 3-. W. s. MATHER. GRUGIBLE SHAPER.

APPLICATION FILED OQT. 2, 1900.

N0 MODEL 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I/IHJEHNI w WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

No. 718,494. PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

' W. S. MATHER.

GRUGIBLB SHAPER.

MODEL APPLICATION FILED 0(JT.2, 1900. 4 SHEETS SHEET 4.

'WHNESSESF I I milMm;S.pJ/l%nfihnm,

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. MATHER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CRUClBLE-SHAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,494, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed October 2,1900. Serial lie-31,808. (NomodeL) T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. MATHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crucible-Shakers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of crucible-shakers represented by the one shown in my Patent No. 650,648, dated May 29, 1900, which said patent shows a shakeradapted for service in connection with the filling of crucibles while they are still at a high temperature from previous smelting.

The objects of the present improvements are more particularly to enable the crucible to be shaken by power other than handpoWer, whereby the work of shaking can be performed with less exertion and inconvenience on the part of the operator or attendant.

Other objects may be set forth in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved crucible-shaker and in thearrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like lettersvof reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a crucible-shaker embodying my improvements in the preferred form. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is plan of the improved device, showing a modified construction. Fig. 4: is a detail of the top of the shaker, and Fig. 5 is a section taken through line a: of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, and Fig. 7 is a rear elevation, of the device having other detailed features of a modified construction. Figs. 8 and 9 show in a side and rear elevation, respectively, still another modified construction. g

In referring to the first construction of Figs. 1 and 2 as a preferred construction I wish it to be understood that the other and all of the constructions described are applicable and useful under particular conditions. The first figures, however, are preferred under the conditions under'which I am at present working and are preferred for the purpose of this application.

In the drawings, it indicates a supporting plate or table, which preferably is provided with meanssuch, for example, as the lugs or stays b-for preventing the crucible from moving laterally from proper position on said table during the shaking operation. Said lugs or stays b may be formed on said plate by casting or be secured thereto in any suitable manner, and in lieu of said lugs any suitable staying means may be provided adapted to form a socket or receptacle for the lower end of the pot or crucible A and prevent displacement, as the table is operated as hereinafter described. I prefer to form on said table, preferably integral therewith, a heat-guard 0, extending up from said table toward the top of the crucible to prevent the heat of the said crucible from being radiated laterally and rearward ly to the discomfort of the operator controlling the movements of the pot, as hereinafter described. This guard may serve as a stay, such as above referred to. At the under sidefof the said table the same is provided with ears or bearings 11, which are preferably slotted, as at e, at their lower ends, the slots serving to receive or permit the horizontal passage of a rotary shaft f beneath the table and to prevent the table from unduly moving in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the said shaft in the shaking operation. The said table or the ears thereof are provided with bearings g, adapted to receive or rest upon cams or eccentrics h, secured to or formed on the shaftf and rotating therewith, said cams or eccentrics being adapted to give short quick vertical reciprocating movements'to the table, by means of which the charge of metal within the pot is caused to settle therein. This movement is rendered more or less smooth by means of the eccentric shown in Fig. 5, and the settling operation under certain conditions is effected with sufficient rapidity and perfection by such an eccentric; but under other circumstances and conditions, where I desire to facilitate the shaking operation or produce a more violent movement, I may secure to the shaft or form thereon a square shaking-cam, as shown in Fig. 1 in outline, or I may employ a cam of other shape. Where I employ an eccentric and rotate the shaft at a high rate of speed, the rapid reciprocal movement is amply sufficient to effect the shaking operations, but where the shaft rotates at a slow rate of speed I prefer an irregular or angular cam, all as will be apparent. At the rear of the said table I have provided means which vary under different conditions for holding the table supported by the cams above referred to in proper horizontal or approximately horizontal position upon said cams. In the construction of Fig. 1 these means comprise slotted standards or posts k, fixed upon the bed-plate or flooring Z and extending upward at the rear of the table a, and at their tops connected by springs m to the top of the heat-guard. Said guard is provided with slideways or vertical bearings 91 for a vertically-movable rotary shaft 1), having formed or secured thereon a cam or cams 0, adapted to engage the rear of the table or the guard thereof. When said cam 0 is rotated, it strikes against the table and moves the same horizontally a greater or less distance or degrees, so that said table is given not only the vertical shaking before described, but a horizontal movement also. This shaft 19 and cam o are preferably rotated by power received from the shaftf, a train or trains of gearing being provided for transmitting such power. The cogged wheels q g Q2 of the gearing are connected by means of levers or hellcranks 1-, which hold the said wheels, so that the wheels g g have a planetary or revolutionary movement above the shaft f, the centers of the said gear-wheels g g maintaining their axial distances from one another and from the gear-wheel q, so that there will be no disengagement of spurs or cogs when the shaft 19 is raised or lowered, as will be understood.

The shaftp and cam 0 are raised or lowered vertically by means of a slotted hand-lever s, fulcrumed at 8 upon a suitable support or stud 25 and provided atthe extremity of one of its arms with a handle 25 and at the extremity of the other arm with a slot 2?, in which the said shaft 13 is arranged. By raising the cam 0 the lateral reciprocatory tilting movements of the table are reduced, since the disturbance is applied farther out from the centerf on which the table swings, and by lowering the cam the throw will be increased,and thus the operator holding the handle t has full control of the lateral shaking and is enabled to give to the top of the crucible a severe shaking at the initial stages of the charging operation, and when the crucible is nearly full and it becomes desirable to reduce the lateral shaking, so that the portions of metal lying at or above the brim will not be thrown from the pot or crucible, the top of the pot may be gently shaken and the last of the charge of metal will be settled in the pot.

I prefer to have the train of power-transmitting devices at opposite sides of the machine, as indicated in Fig. 2, but I may employ a single train for that purpose.

At the later stages of the shaking operation when the crucible is nearly full, as above indicated, I find it desirable not to give to the crucible the vertical shaking first above referred to, and I have provided means for throwing the table at out of operative engagement with the cam 72. The means I may employ comprise an eccentric it, provided with a handle it, by means of which the table a may be raised away from the path of rotation of the projections of the cam h, as will be understood.

To facilitate the filling operation and render it unnecessary for the operator to constantly supply the material for the charge as the latter settles, I have provided afunnel v in con nection with the crucible-holding ring 1;, the said funnel having a capacity to receive the material that will be required to fully fill the pot after the settling, and thus the operator can supply the pot and funnel at one time with a full complement of metal, if he so desires. The said ring 12 is arranged upon a lever 02 fulcrumed or hinged at one side, as at and having a handle or extension 1) at the opposite side adapted to be held in suitable bearings by a lock or stay pin 71 so that in the shaking operation the top of the pot will be held to move with the table and no undue strain will be brought thereon by means of which the said pot might be broken.

In Figs. 3 and 5 I show a modified construction in which the cogged gearing is dispensed with, and in lieu thereof I secure the same or a similar movement by means of a bell-crank lever q, fulcrumed upon a stud g and operated at one end by a cam or eccentric q, and at the opposite end provided with a pin which works in a Vertical shot g of the table. The said pin is adjustable with reference to the table, so as to vary the degree of tilting or shaking for the purpose above referred to, being operated to secure the desired adjustment by the hand-lever s, fulcrumed upon the stud 25, so that the violent shaking is obtained by lowering the pin in its relation to the table. In this construction I may dispense with the ring extending on the outside of the upper end of the crucible and provide the funnel with a series of lugs 3, which extend down into the mouth of the crucible, the lugs being cast upon the funnel.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show the handle 8 pivoted to a connecting-link 4, which may some times be employed to advantage.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I show a construction in which the adj usting-handle 3 may be dispensed with, the adjustment being made approximately as desired prior to the shaking operations.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is-- 1. The improved crucible-shaker, comprising a rotary shaft, a table having depending ears or bearings straddling said shaft and preventing lateral movement while permitting vertical movement, and a rotary cam or eccentric arranged beneath said table on said shaft and adapted to vertically reciprocate said table, substantially as set forth.

2. The improved crucible-shaker comprising a table, means for holding the crucible upon said table, means for shaking said table and means for controlling the movements of the shaking means, whereby the shaking will be more or less severe, substantially as set forth.

3. The improved crucible-shaker comprising a table, means for vertically shaking the table, means for moving the table horizontally and a train of gearing for transmitting movement from the means for vertically shaking the table to the means for moving the table horizontally, substantially as set forth.

4. The improved crucible-shaker, comprising a support for the crucible having an upward extension at its rear side to prevent or reduce the radiation of heat to the Workingman, means for reciprocally shaking said support and means for reducing the reciprocal movements and securing an easy settling of the charge of metal toward the end of the filling operations, substantially as set forth.

5. The improved crucible-shaker, comprising a pivoted support for the crucible, means for oscillating said support laterally and means for adjusting the shaking means to act upon said support at different distances from its pivot, substantially as set forth.

6. The improved crucible-shaker, comprising a support for the crucible, means'for reciprocating said support vertically, means for horizontally tilting said support, said means last mentioned being vertically adjustable to act upon the support at difierent points of its height, and a hand-lever having a fixed fulcrum and being connected to said last-mentioned means to raise and lower the same, substantially as set forth.

7. The improved crucible-shaker, comprising a crucibletable and means for holding the crucible thereon, means disposed beneath the table for preventing horizontal movement below the upper, crucible-supporting or plane of said table, shaking means dis- 'posed distant from said surface or the plane of said surface for reciprocating said table and a handle for adjusting said reciprocating means, whereby the reciprocations will bevaried in extent or severity, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the crucible-supporting table, at, having slotted ears (1, beneath, a horizontal shaft f, arranged in the slots of said ears, and a rotary cam or eccentric on said shaft adapted to shake the table and the crucible thereon, substantially as set forth;

10. A crucible-shaker, comprising means for shaking a crucible, and a rigid funnel on said shaking means having a small lower end adapted to lie at the mouth of a crucible and a larger flaring upper end into which the charge may be poured, substantially as set forth.

11. The improved crucible shaker, comprising means for shaking a crucible, and a rigid funnel on said shaking means and moving therewith as a part of the same, said funnel having an open upper end into which scrap metal may be poured and being adapted to conduct said metal into a crucible while the same is being shaken, substantially as set forth.

12. In a crucible shaker, having hinged jaws adapted to grasp a crucible, the combination with one of said jaws of afunnel held thereby at the mouth of the crucible and adapted to guide the charge into said crucible, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of.

September, 1900.

WILLIAM S. MATHER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, O. B. PITNEY. 

